Mechanical Wings
by Kikori
Summary: Follow Kite, Tsukasa, and other Legendary Players from The World as they overcome struggles, build friendships, and unravel new hidden secrets about CC corp's popular MMORPG. Takes place in the real world. Prologue and Chapter 1 up.
1. Prologue: Summer's Rain

Mechanical Wings

Disclaimer: I do **NOT** own .Hack or any of its characters. If I did, I would probably keep Kite prisoner in my closet...

A/N: Hi guys. I had created a profile on but I never seem to have any free time on my hands, which is why I've only gotten around to posting a fanfic on this today. But I'm gonna keep this updated as much as I can. Here's a few notes before you start reading:

-This story will be taken from the point of view of the real world.

-I guess you can expect to see the .Hack/Sign characters, (which I prefer to call the "Twilight Awakeners") along with the .Hackers from the series of games.

- Tsukasa _is _a boy in the real world for this fanfic. Yeah, I know, but it's because I want to do this and it's my story. And you don't have to tell me about him being a... cough you know, in reality, because I know already, ok?

-The characters will be keeping their game names and appearances for this story, because I'm afraid it would be too confusing for you otherwise (and confusing for me, too XD)

-Text written in _italic _are flashbacks from "The World". They're supposed to be confusing and disordered, so it's ok.

-There is NO official coupling for this fanfic: meaning it isn't just a Tsukasa/Mimiru romance or something of the sort. Mimiru is more of a close sister for Tsukasa anyway. There will probably be pairings like Kite and Blackrose in the future.

-Please remember, this story **is **rated for a reason. Future chapters might be a little nasty for some people, so I would appreciate it if you kept this in mind.

I'm done babbling, thank you very much and I hope you enjoy my story.

Prologue: Summer's Rain

The girl awoke with a start, jolting up in bed. Pulchritudinous jade eyes darted the room with fear; she could hear her own heartbeat thumping quickly in her ears. The room was obscure with a blanket of darkness, delicate shadows of gangling branches danced on the walls. Long vanes of silver traveled down the window as rain prickled the glass from outside.

The girl's breath evened after a moment of thought in the silence. She blew out the side of her mouth upward, removing a few strands of dampened auburn hair out of an eye. She was fully awake now, and once she had realized it, a frown grew on her lips.

Rubbing her dampened forehead with the back of a hand, the girl eyed the alarm clock, placed on the unorganized table at the side of the bed, wearily. The blinding little red numbers nearly made her eyes bulge when she realized it read 4:39 a.m. "Ugh…" she moaned quietly while flopping backward into her cushions.

"Why would I wake up so early? I've never had a problem sleeping in," she thought bitterly. "A nightmare… maybe…?"

_Lashes of delicate green tickled her nose; she couldn't help but smile. Blades of pail emerald, illuminated with sparkling beads of soft dew, stretched as far as the eye could see. The area sloped downward at one of the sides, where the disarrayed colours grew ablaze with gold and crimson, climbing high into the azure swirls overhead and eventually becoming whole again. _

_The wind began to chill as the sky grew greater with dark cerulean, and the shadows at their feet began crawling toward the horizon. _

It was nearly a half hour before the girl was able to bring herself to sit up again. She brought her legs to dangle over the bed, and then a moment later stood wobbly without much more resentment. She made the biggest possible stretch she could, lifting her bare arms over her head before letting them dangle at her sides again.

Scuttling toward the bathroom, she attempted to hold back a yawn before passing her parent's room and heading down the darkened hallway.

It was lucky that it was still summer, and the girl didn't need to return to school for ninth grade for a few more weeks still. If this hadn't been the case, she would have thrown a pillow over her head and slept in until the last minute. Fortunately for her, she would be able to catch up on a few hours of sleep later in the evening.

The girl was scratching a mosquito bite on her right hip (absentmindedly) when she arrived at the bathroom. After peering into the mirror for a few minutes, checking over her complexion, she filled the sink with a little warm water and dipped her cupped hands in to splash some on her face. She grabbed a towel from the basket on the counter, and dried up before returning to the hallway. Even though she was slightly more awake, she was far too lazy to brush her teeth and tame her hair.

Now that the girl's eyes had adjusted to the darkness, she was fully aware of the surroundings of her room and began searching for some clean clothes. She trotted over to the large pile of clothing by her desk and plucked a few pieces from the top that seemed sanitary. Once she had undressed, the girl then threw her night clothes on the pile, (replacing the ones which she had taken) and dressed herself with the jeans and green tank-top before adjusting them in her dresser mirror and checking her overall appearance one last time.

Once she had accepted herself presentable for the morning, she went over to the window and gazed down upon the disordered city. Drenched from the chilling blanket of rain, the inexplicable structure of the abstruse area lying before her sent shivers throughout her body. Pressing her palms against the cold glass, the girl slid the window open slowly. The rain stung her face in freezing lashes; she couldn't help but sigh from the sensation of cool air, gently tickling her skin.

_She giggled buoyantly, flailing her tanned arms over her head to rest in the rousing feeling of soft grass. Radiant clusters of stars overflowed the shadowed cobalt, swirling throughout the majestic sky before them. _

_She turned her head sideways, eyes were clouded with blithe. He looked at her, ashen features filled with a feeling of content. Then, after a moment, he too, rolled onto his back, and fixated his attention upon the sky. _

_Their limbs were flailed lazily about; they didn't care about that now. Arms were intertwined in an innocent act, to keep each-other reassured, to know that they were both really there. _

"Mimiru…? Is that you?"

The girl had been putting on a shoe at the door when she jumped at the sound of her father's voice from the hallway.

"Uh- yeah, it's me, dad. I'm just going for a walk; I'll be back in ten minutes."

She was answered by a few seconds of silence.

"At five o'clock in the morning…?" Her father's voice sounded agitated.

"I couldn't sleep. I'm just going to get some fresh air."

This response was greeted by something that sounded along the lines of an annoyed growl, similar sounding to the word, "fine".

"Just be back in ten minutes," said her father's voice, before she heard the shuffling of slippered feet returning down the hall and into the bedroom again.

It took a moment for the girl to find her trail of thought once more; the realization of being caught had slightly shaken her. Though she knew nothing was wrong, her heart was beating roughly in her chest, and her feelings of worry went right to her stomach. She would just find _out _what was wrong, (if there was anything wrong at all) and release this ache in her mind. Then she could come back and crawl into bed and sleep until noon. But first, she just _had _to figure out the reason for this unsettling feeling. And it was out there, in the streets of the city.

-------

It was lucky that she hadn't taken the time to tame her hair, after all, because the wind had sent it flying all sorts of ways after she had stepped out of the apartment and onto the dismal walkway. Murky puddles of brown littered the sidewalk as the rain continued trickling down from the grey sky. But Mimiru only focused on the soft pit-patting of drops landing on the surface of the walkway while she walked.

She had to admit that it scared her; having this sort of reaction to a simple _feeling. _What was she looking for in the first place? The only real answer that could be provided for her would be when she had actually found it. Whatever "it" was going to be. Nevertheless, the feeling was too strong to ignore, so she continued down the street, nearing the less-appealing area of the neighborhood.

The girl wrapped her jacket a little closer to herself with a hand, emerald eyes filled with uneasiness, fixed on a bedraggled stray dog scrounging through a knocked-over garbage can. She bit her bottom lip, uncertainty on her face, as she took a few more shaky steps as far away from the animal as she could bring herself.

"_Hey…" _

_Her voice was so soft. Only slightly above a whisper. _

"_Let's be like this forever. Just the two of us…"_

_She sounded hopeful and emboldened; her eyes were shining with anticipation._

After a long, shaky breath, she decided she ought to keep going, now that she had made it this far. After a moment of walking, the mist thickened in her surroundings, making it difficult to see ahead of her.

Mimiru yelped in surprise suddenly, when she felt something soft and warm wrap itself around her leg. Startled, she peered down to see a cat, its boney grey face staring directly up at her. The cat was soaked in water and mud, and the feline was so thin that the outline of its spine could be seen sticking out under the skin. The most curious feature to Mimiru, was the cat's eyes. Two crimson slits, glowing faintly in the eerie grey mist of the street.

The cat closed its eyes as it purred softly, rubbing its little head on the girl's knee. She smiled gently down at the cat and scratched behind one of its ears.

"Aren't you cute," she smiled, crouching down to be level with the little cat.

Suddenly, the cat opened its eyes once more, and directed its attention to Mimiru. The scarlet slits only stared a brief moment, though there was tension hidden within them. Before the girl was able to react, the cat tensed and sprinted quickly down the sidewalk, leaving nothing but the soft sound of patting feet in the puddles.

"_Forever?"_

_Echoed a voice. It came like a calm wind; soothing and quiet and content. _

She crouched there a moment while looking in the cat's direction, then slowly got to her feet. She could still feel the warmth of the cat wrapped around her leg, as though it had left its body heat behind it. Hesitantly, she headed in the direction of the small feline, slowly at first, but eventually quickened her pace to a run.

'That cat… was that what I was supposed to be looking for?' she wondered, trying to make out her surroundings throughout the foggy street.

Attempting to avoid the contaminated puddles, Mimiru couldn't help but splash her foot in a few at the speed she was running, but this didn't stop her. She felt that she was getting closer, and she couldn't bring herself to stop now.

"_Do you think I'll… be around forever?" _

Rain stung the girl's eyes, forcing her to keep them shut as she ran. The feeling in her stomach had returned; a feeling of apprehensiveness that she couldn't explain. Her legs were beginning to feel weakened, knees shaking with trepidation.

"_I'm not sure… I'm not sure, but… I'm still going to protect you."_

She was in one of the worse areas now, realizing it by the appearances of the buildings, debilitated and dirt-stained. But she _wasn't _going to stop. Not now, not yet. Her watering jade eyes widened when she could suddenly make out a figure in the distance, leaning by one of the buildings.

"_For as long as I can…"_

She slowed down to a walk, as she continued closer. As the mist began to clear, the buildings became more distinct. She could see the whole person now. And now that she could, the girl had stopped dead in her tracks, eyes stinging, bottom lip quivering.

"…_I promise."_

A boy was leaning against the wall. And, Mimiru realized, he couldn't have been any older then she, maybe 14 at the oldest. And the kid was soaked to the bone, and she could tell he was shivering, even from her place several feet away. He only wore a t-shirt, and a pair of baggy jeans that had a horrible rip on the left leg, unveiling most of his knee, though it was hidden by most of his hand, which looked like it was trying to hide the bare part He kept himself up by slumping against the brick wall, slightly bent over, while trying to hide his knee. He wore nothing on his feet, which only cooperated to giving him a more peculiar appearance then he already had.

_Her vision became blurry and pallid as she brushed her cheek softly against his silver hair, breathing in a phantasmagorical rush of heavenly scent. Hesitant pink lips graced slowly upon his pale forehead, leaving small, innocent kisses. Feathery strands of silver tickled her nose, causing her to smile through the kisses, hot, shaky breaths coming in quiet gasps. _

"No…" Mimiru's voice shook, her legs trembling.

"It can't be…"

_His face radiated with that smile; innocence hidden within it, something that resembled her own childishness to Mimiru. _

She could feel her heart beating fast in her ears, every second seemed to last an eternity.

_Mystic amethyst eyes gazed back at her. They had become far too memorable to ever forget._

She had never forgotten them… Not once.

_He was smiling… smiling just for her._

Those eyes were upon her now…

"Are they…? Are they real?" her thoughts were coming to her as fragments.

It was reality though. The ashen boy on the street, drenched in water; he was staring right back at her. And it was far too real.

Her eyes were welling with un-fallen tears. Her voice had left her completely. And so, she mouthed the name that had plagued her mind ever since.

"Tsukasa…"


	2. Chapter 1: Red Stained Glass

Mechanical Wings

Disclaimer: I do **NOT **own .hack or any of its characters… yet… . 

A/N: Hey everybody. Thank you very much for the reviews, I appreciate it a lot. I'm sorry if you didn't like the prologue, but it _was _just a prologue, so the story will continue to improve as the plot develops.

Also, the Anonymous Review blocker for this story has been turned off. Thanks Megaolix for informing me of this. 

I hope you enjoy this chapter!

Chapter 1: Red-Stained Glass

He wasn't sure if it was the horrible dryness layering his mouth and throat that woke him. His eyes were still heavy with sleep as he tried to bring himself to lift his head from a cold surface, but to no success. His vision blurred with the vague awareness of a cluttered floor, un-kept with careless and slovenly actions. It took a moment, but after blinking several times, the boy could make out a few of the possessions left forgotten on the floor. A few pieces of clothing, a shoe covered with mud, a pair of broken headphones... He finally realized that he had rolled right off the bed while sleeping, and was laying on his bedroom floor.

His cheek felt like it was beginning to burn from the harsh surface of the carpet, so he slowly sat upright. He wished he hadn't though, because the moment he lifted himself, a horrible pain he hadn't realized was there began pounding in his head. He squeezed his eyes shut for a few seconds, and he couldn't deny that the idea of crawling onto his bed and sleeping a while longer was tempting, but at that moment a loud crash erupted from the darkness of the apartment; slicing through the silence like a gunshot.

His amethyst eyes went wide with surprise as he turned his head in the direction of the sound. Shadows leaked through the opened door, crawling and weaving upon the cold surface toward the walls. A black figure stood at the door frame, long and lanky in the shadows. His breaths were loud and raspy, filling the entire room. The figure stared. He didn't know how long the figure stared at him for, seconds, minutes, hours, and all along continuing to engulf the room with heavy gasps of air.

Then, without hesitation, the depraved person slowly made his way toward the boy sitting on the floor.

"All of your… shit… you can't keep it cleaner... at least…" the man's words were slurred as he stumbled forward, unintelligent mumbles continuing to pour from his mouth.

The boy looked up at the man with uncertainty, sitting as still as he possibly could. A glimmer reached the corner of his eye, causing him to look over to the broken bottle in the figure's right hand, shyly illuminating a small patch in the darkness.

His eyes widened with sudden realization, scooting backward into the wall.

"I…I did so _much _for her… and all she ended up giving me…" he was so close now, that the boy could smell his foul breath, could feel the warmth of it on his face.

"All she ended up giving me… was _you_."

-------

It was as though she had seen a ghost.

Mimiru had realized he was looking at her now; and it scared her. She had to know for certain, though, it could have just as easily been someone else. 'You'll regret it later,' she told herself. Nevertheless, the girl forced herself out of her stupor, and with trembling legs, approached him.

She had to let her tears fall freely, though it didn't matter much, because her face was still drenched from the rain. The more steps she took, her stomach grew with a more foul feeling. What if she was wrong? If she was, this feeling wouldn't leave. It would consume her with intimidation, and she would break under the pressure.

She wouldn't be able to live with herself.

Mimiru could see his face now. His hair was matted and un-kept, strands wild from strong winds, but it looked like he hadn't been taking care of it, anyway. Pieces stuck to his cheeks and forehead, dripping with water. For the most part, his face was pale, interrupted by a large, red bruise near his left eye.

The girl stopped several feet away; as she tried to gulp back the large knot that had grown in her throat. 'It's too late to turn back, now,' she reasoned with herself.

"Tsukasa…?" she flinched at the tone of her voice; so incredibly hopeful, she hadn't even been aware she possessed such a tone. It was too much for her, she couldn't bring herself to watch his reaction, so her eyes strayed toward her feet as she waited for his answer.

"Yeah… Mimiru," at his voice, her eyes snapped toward him. The boy wasn't smiling, but his eyes were filled to the brim with content. It gave her a soothing feeling, the idea that she offered any comfort to him.

"Good to see you again."

The girl released a sob, rubbing her eyes with the back of her hand. She ran over to Tsukasa and hugged him as tight as she could, holding onto his shirt with numb fingers. She didn't feel ashamed of her tears, not anymore.

"Idiot," she mumbled quietly. "This is how you dress, when you go out in the rain?"

Tsukasa hugged her back meekly. "I didn't _know _it was raining, until two minutes ago."

She pulled away, looking at him directly. She furrowed her eyebrows at the large, swollen mark near the boy's eye. "Tsukasa… what happened?"

As the two let go, his eyes strayed away from hers, turning his attention to anywhere but Mimiru. The girl watched his actions, and she felt a sting of hurt. She was about to urge him again, but the cut that had been covered by his hand a moment ago stopped her. She couldn't help but gasp, seeing the deep, messy gashes on his leg that stained his clothes. The cuts traveled downward to his shin, raw and red, with marks that swelled. Most of the blood that had reached the surface had been faded away by the rain.

"Oh," Mimiru choked back her tears as she looked at him worriedly. "Oh, Tsukasa…"

"Mimiru, stop," The boy interrupted her before she could say anything more. "I'm fine."

But Mimiru couldn't bear to say nothing.

"I didn't know it was like this… I didn't know it was this bad. When you came back, I thought things would be better, I don't know why… but I did. I-I'm sorry," she had her face buried in her hands now, as she continued to sob out her words. "I'm sorry… I'm…"

"Mimiru. _Stop it. I'm fine._"

She stopped all actions after hearing him speak to her in that tone. She felt a comforting hand on her shoulder as she looked up from her hands. He stared intently at her.

"Stop beating yourself up about it," he said quietly.

She gave him a small smile, after a bit, and gently nodded. She needed to be strong; because Tsukasa was being strong now, but there was a chance he would need her to be strong for him, later on. The girl rubbed her nose with the back of her hand as she straightened herself again. Her senses were coming back to her now, as she became aware of the chilling morning air biting at bare skin. She then realized that her friend was still shaking, and that he must have been ten times as cold as she was. The girl feared that if he stayed out in the rain in his bare feet any longer, he may get ill, and she would hate herself for it.

"Come on, we're going to my place," she told him in her usual ordering tone. "Can't you walk?"

Tsukasa blinked at the sudden reaction, but looked slightly ashamed afterward. "Not really, I can't bend it. I used the wall to help, before."

Mimiru smiled reassuringly. "That's alright," she told him, as she went to his side. She guided his arm to rest around her neck for support as she placed her hand on his back, and, carefully, the two made their way down the sidewalk.

"You're too light, Tsukasa," the girl said jokingly as they walked, "don't you ever eat?"

Tsukasa smiled, "maybe you just eat too much."

"Ugh, I figured you'd say something like that," she huffed.

-------

The two arrived at the building eleven minutes later, it took a little longer, because Mimiru didn't want to injure Tsukasa more, and, though Mimiru had assured him she knew exactly where she was going, they had gotten lost a few times.

"Are you sure this is okay?" Tsukasa asked as they walked down the halls toward the apartment. "I mean, won't your parents mind?"

Mimiru frowned, "I'm _not _leaving you out in the rain, Tsukasa. If they don't like it, they can live with it."

She fumbled with her keys a few seconds before quietly opening the door and peering inside. She assumed her father had fallen back asleep after she had left, because the apartment was just as she had left it. She opened it wider and motioned for Tsukasa to follow, turning on a small lamp placed near the couch for light.

"I'll get some things to clean the cut, you can wait here."

The boy sat down on the couch as Mimiru quietly headed down the hall and into the bathroom. Most of her thoughts were preoccupied with what she would tell her parents if they found Tsukasa in the living room before she had a chance to explain the situation to them. 'I'll deal with it when I have to', she thought as she searched through the medicine cabinet.

When the girl returned with her hands full of supplies, she couldn't help but laugh at the half-asleep boy sitting on the couch. She kneeled down next to him, as he rubbed his eyes with the back of his hand, trying to stay awake. Mimiru ordered him to keep his leg still as she tended to the nasty wound, blood bubbling out of the gash from every movement made.

Tsukasa watched. "I didn't know you knew how to do this."

"I learned at school. It was a good thing I did; my dad would just put tape over my cuts when I got hurt." Mimiru laughed.

Tsukasa smiled. "Mimiru… thanks."

The girl smiled back. "Any time," she said.

When the two were finished, Mimiru went to the freezer and got an ice pack to help Tsukasa's black eye. But before she could reach the couch, the soft padding of footsteps coming from the hallway caught her attention. A woman appeared at the door frame, wrapping her pink house coat tightly around her body as she yawned, trying to rub the sleep from blurry eyes.

"Mmhm… Mimiru? That you?" the woman mumbled before opening her eyes. Shock traced her features as she took notice of the boy sitting on the couch.

"M-Mimiru, what-" the woman stuttered, dumbfounded.

"Uh, _mom_, can I talk to you in the kitchen for a second?" Mimiru interrupted quickly. She didn't want her mother to say anything before she knew what was going on; she didn't want Tsukasa to get offended in any way. She handed the boy the ice pack before dragging her mother into the next room.

Before the girl could start, her mother had already begun speaking her own mind.

"You get up at five o'clock in the morning, go out by _yourself _in the dark, pick up strange homeless kids, and take them _home _with you?" her mother asked angrily, while pacing back and forth around the kitchen.

Mimiru frowned. "He is _not _a "strange homeless kid", mom. He's one of my best friends. He needed my help."

Her mother calmed down once Mimiru had reassured her of this, but her features were still traced with agitation. "Mimiru, what happened to him? You should have told me if-"

"Tsukasa was… well, he doesn't come from a very nice home… his dad is really… violent," the girl chose her words carefully as she looked at her mother, seeing the realization dawn on her.

"I... had no idea. But I'm proud of you, Mimiru. You did a good thing."

The girl let out a sigh of relief. "I'm just worried… about what dad will say."

Her mother smiled gently, "don't worry, I'll tell him. We'll need to take care of your friend's situation at his home as well, but your father and I will handle that, so don't worry about that now. Lets get you two warmed up."

Tsukasa had fallen asleep on the couch when Mimiru returned with a few blankets. As quietly as the girl could, she picked up the pack of ice which had fallen out of the hand dangling lazily over the side of the couch, then covered him with one of the blankets. She stared at him a while, watching as he slept. It seemed, Mimiru mused, that he hadn't slept so peacefully for a long time; the sound of a plane crashing through the roof probably wouldn't even wake him. And, it occurred to her, that maybe this was one of the first times he felt safe; comfortable enough to let his guard down, in a long while. The feeling in her stomach returned, then. A feeling of horrid despair; the idea that Tsukasa had been hurt, and he was hiding it, because he didn't want to worry her. But it _did _worry her. And the thought of it was unbearable.

'But he's right here, now,' she told herself soothingly. 'He'll be taken out of that bastard's custody, and he won't have to see him again…'

The girl yawned quietly as her mother entered the living room. She smiled at her daughter, before turning off the lamp by the couch, and heading down the hallway to the bedroom shared with her husband. It seemed that everyone had decided that it was too early to be making breakfast, (or getting out of bed at all, for that matter) so, after a moment of silence, Mimiru chose to retire to her room, as well.

-------

A tenebrous hue poured though-out the streets of the overshadowed city. Stinging drops of rain slowed their continuous beating rhythm as the haze began to clear, and hints of the coming dawn reveal themselves. The harsh screaming of sirens echoed in the distance, accompanied by the barking of a stray, lost among the maze of the city streets.

A tiny figure sat alone on the sidewalk; tinted crimson eyes piercing through the blackness. Dark, furry ears flicked their attention toward the everyday sounds, but the feline's eyes didn't stray away from the apartment building for a second.

The cat's constant smiling face continued to direct itself at the only window which had light in it. However, the light turned off after the shadowed inhabitant made a few movements, and the room turned black entirely.

The dirty little animal sitting on the sidewalk, stood then, and, with graceful and swift movements, sprinted down the sidewalk and disappeared in the dawn's shadows.


End file.
